New Schools!
It’s been a long time coming but
voters have decided to take advantage of the one-time opportunity offered by
the Ohio School Facilities Commission. The state will pay 63 percent
of the total cost schools and voters will pay the additional 37 percent.
Switzerland of Ohio School District
will have six new schools and a completely renovated River High School.
On a vote of 3,761 to 2,619 the
Switzerland of Ohio School District approved an 8.19 mill levy which will
allow a new K-12 school building to be constructed on SR-556 in Beallsville,
a new Monroe Central High School building in Woodsfield, a new
Woodsfield Elementary, a new Sardis/Hannibal Elementary near River
High School in Hannibal, a new Skyvue Ele-mentary and a new Powhatan
Elementary. In addition, River High School will be completely renovated.
Of the almost 13,000 registered
voters in the Switzerland of Ohio Local School District, made up of
Monroe, Belmont and Noble counties, 3,761 cast a vote to bring new schools
to the children of the district. Over 59 percent of Monroe County voters
cast a favorable ballot. In Noble County 30 votes were for the levy and in
Belmont County 51 affirmative votes were cast.
New schools are coming!

<Shadow
Lake Has New OwnersShadow
Lake Resort has new owners and expanded opportunities for campers.
There are also more options for those who want to rent cabins, the lodge or
the stone house, shown above. Pictured, from left, are: Jo Eddy and Ruth
Workman, representing Monroe County Chamber of Commerce; Bob Copper, one of
the new owners; and Tom and Jacqui Gillman, resident managers.
Photo by Martha Ackerman

by Martha Ackerman
Staff Writer
Shadow Lake Campground and Resort,
located on County Road 2, near Miltonsburg, has new owners. With the new
ownership come improvements, as well as new options for campers and those
wanting a weekend get-away.
Bob Copper of Birmingham, Alabama;
Casey Herlihy and Adrian Woods, both of Orlando, Florida, have purchased
Shadow Lake. The trio own another resort in Alabama, which is similar to
Shadow Lake.
The new owners found the campgrounds
advertised on the Internet. They were in the area checking out a
Pennsylvania resort when they decided to look at Shadow Lake, noted Copper.
They liked the nice rolling hills of Shadow Lake, it was in good shape and
it fit their idea of a peaceful park.
Shadow Lake has 100 campsites
equipped with electric, water and sewer, along with unlimited primitive
sites.
Tom and Jacqui Gillman have been
hired as resident managers and are available 24/7 to accommodate visitors.
Amenities at Shadow Lake include a
community pool, gated entrance, recreation hall, putt-putt golf and a
stocked fishing lake.
Nestled in the rolling hills of
Monroe County, Shadow Lake is perfect for a weekend get-away or retirement.
Lots are now selling with 99-year leases.
New custom made cabins, one to three
bedrooms, with various floor plans, are also available for sale. A fully
furnished model is available for tour.
Available for weekend get-aways,
weddings, reunions, company parties or a family get-together are the lodge
which sleeps 10, several cabins and sleeper cabins. The Stone House is
available by the night with a two-night minimum. It includes three bedrooms,
two baths, full kitchen, breakfast nook, living room, dining room, jacuzzi
tub in the main bath, Directv, Internet and a large, enclosed front porch.
The recreation hall and pavilion are
also available for rent by the day. The rentals all include use of the pool
and miniature golf when open.
For more information on Shadow Lake
Resort or to make reservations, call 740-472-1530 or check them out on the
web:
www.shadowlakervresort.com

The Monroe County Chamber welcomed
Transtar to the business community April 24.
Transtar provides Directv and Monitronics to
area customers. Mike Lee heads the business
locally. Shown, from left, are: Michael Neff,
Jim Baranich, employees of Transtar;
Bing Tran, owner of Transtar; Mike Lee;
Toni Pope, Andrea Pope, Transtar
employees. Not shown are Ben Botkins
and Nichelle Reed, Transtar employees.

Photo by Martha Ackerman

by Martha Ackerman
Staff Writer
“Transtar’s goal is to supply Monroe
and surrounding counties with home entertainment with Directv, the best in
HD and picture clarity available. We offer free installation and great
service as long as you are connected with Transtar direct,” said Mike Lee,
who heads the business locally. Transtar
is owned by Bing Tran of New Orleans, Louisiana.
“Transtar also offers a 24-hour
protection home security in monitored security systems for the home that
includes medical, fire, and burglary through one of the best security
systems, Monitronics,” continued Lee.
According to Lee, future plans
include adding an internet service. “Watch the Beacon for future
promotions,” said Lee.
For more information on Transtar
services, call Mike Lee at 740-865-2094, 1-740-336-0648 (Cell) or:
mike.directv@hotmail.com

An
EMA exercise training held by the Monroe County Emergency Management Agency
is about to wrap up as Kaiser, the county’s drug dog, and his handler, Joe
Kress, capture a “terrorist” who ran from a brick building to avoid law
enforcement officials from the Woodsfield Police Dept. and Monroe County
Sheriff’s Office. The terrorist is played by Deputy Matt Abbott.

Two firemen dressed in full hazmat
gear carry a “wounded” employee (Dan Haralson) from the scene as Rick
Schuerman, far left, evaluates the activity.
Photos by Arlean Selvy

by Arlean Selvy
Publisher
Law enforcement personnel scoured the
woods and ultimately crept down from the hills on three sides of a block
garage where two terrorists were hiding. One man lay dead and another
injured as the terrorists threatened to blow up the water plant if their
demand for a million dollars wasn’t met.
The mock situation, which took place
May 3, was devised by Monroe County Emergency Management Agency and the
Local Emergency Planning Committee. The state mandated full-scale training
activity involved 16 agencies.
Rick Schuerman noted this is the
first time in his 14 year career as Monroe County EMA coordinator that he’d
had the opportunity to bring law enforcement agencies into the training. “I
hope to incorporate more in the future,” he said.
The state calls for each county to
hold a full-scale training exercise every four years.
Schuerman had many, many hours of preparation and planning in the training
exercise and tossed in a few surprises for those who played out the
scenario. Little did emergency personnel and law enforcement officers
know that a bridge would be blown up and hamper their entrance to the scene.
It was from that point that they began walking through the wooded hillsides
searching for terrorists while making their way to the plant. One of the
terrorists (Kenny Jones) was found walking through the woods and was
apprehended by deputies.
About an hour after the 911 call was
made by a plant employee (Dan Haralson), the police could be seen combing
the area and making their way to the block garage. At that point terrorists
(played by Tom Taylor, firearms instructor and Monroe County Deputy Matt
Abbott), ran from the garage and were soon apprehended by law enforcement
and the county’s drug dog, Kaiser. Kaiser had accompanied his handler,
Deputy Joe Kress, as well as Deputy Derek Norman down a steep embankment
behind the garage, from which a terrorist emerged. He was told to stop ...
but instead ran, with the dog hot on his trail. After another warning, he
dropped to his knees and a warning could be heard on the radios, “He has a
detonator in his hand.” Also, a truck was reported to be nearby and in the
bed of the truck was a white cylinder appearing to be a propane tank.
Officials radioed there was dynamite strapped to the cylinder. As the
terrorist knelt, multiple explosions were
detonated in the nearby creek, white plumes of smoke rose. It appeared they
were meant as diversions
The original call by an employee
informed the sheriff’s office that he’d observed a van on the property and
the occupants were acting in a strange manner. While observing the vehicle
and occupants, a delivery truck arrived, stopped along the road, a struggle
ensued and the driver (played by Brian Harrigan of the village water
department) was fatally shot.
Officers arriving at the scene,
searched the terrorist’s van and discovered what appeared to be drug lab
equipment and supplies. Emergency and fire personnel, dressed in full hazmat
gear, arrived to help the injured.
Evaluating the exercise were Jim
Hunt, fire chief at Clar-ington; Mike Langsdorf, assistant fire chief at
Antioch; and Rick Warren, Ohio EMA.
Warren, the state evaluator, was
pleased and will ask the Ohio EMA for “concurrence” noting all objectives of
the exercise were met.
Agencies involved were the Monroe
County Sheriff’s Office, Woodsfield Police Dept., Woodsfield VFD and EMS,
Lewisville VFD, Woodsfield Public Works, the coroner’s office, Monroe County
Health Dept., Ameri-can Red Cross, Barnesville Hospital, Monroe County
Commissioners, Monroe County Emergency Manage-ment Agency, Local Emer-gency
Planning Committee, Belmont County EMA and the Ohio EMA.

DONALD F. CAVALIER
Donald F. “Don” Cavalier, 76,
Powhatan Point, died April 27, 2009, at Belmont Community Hospital,
Bellaire. He was born Sept. 9, 1932, in Powhatan Point, a son of the late
Dominick and Madge Jones Cavalier.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.wattersfuneralhome.com.

JAMES A. BURNSIDE
James A. Burnside, 80, Woodsfield,
died May 4, 2009.
Online condolences may be shared at www.mslfuneralhome.com

EARL O. KASSERMAN
Earl O. Kasserman, 95, Carriage Inn
of Cadiz, formerly of Clarington, died April 29, 2009, at the Harrison
Community Hospital, Cadiz. He was born April 16, 1914, in Hannibal, a son of
the late John J. and Clara A. Fuchs Kasserman. Online condolences may
be made at www.wattersfuneralhome.com.
THOMAS W. DIERKES
Thomas W. Dierkes, 48, 43444 Mt.
Carrick Rd., Woodsfield, died April 29, 2009, at his home following an
extended illness of brain cancer. He was born Jan. 4, 1961, at Martins
Ferry, a son of Glenn Sr. and Dorothy Stugis Dierkes.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.wattersfuneralhome.com.

Dear Editor,
On April 26, I directed a bicycle
race that took place in Wetzel and Monroe counties.
The riders were well pleased with the natural beauty that surrounded them
and the friendliness of the local people.
I would be remiss if I didn’t give a
special mention to Sheriff Chuck Black and his fine staff. Because of their
help the riders’ safety was insured and a successful time was had by both
riders and spectators.
Aron Yevuta
New Martinsville

Too many people
are like porcupines; they have their good points, but you can’t get near
them.
Minds are like parachutes; they
function only when open.
I guess when you get old things
happen and you do not know why. For example, sometimes I walk into the
bedroom then stop and ask myself, “What did I come in here for?” I’m glad it
doesn’t happen when I go to the bathroom. Last week I thought I’ll wait
until after the election to write my little blurb. Well, it just dawned on
me it would not be possible to do this because it is due on Friday before
the Thursday edition. So, here it is Thursday evening, NCIS is on USA and I
haven’t written a tink as yet. Oh well, maybe I’ll be a little short this
week. I just wish I could look ahead. On the other hand, maybe not.
It’s tough to find words to describe
my feelings and enjoyment of a program I attended this evening. In fact, it
was better than anything you could tune in on the TV set. I guess maybe my
great-granddaughter participated in the program had something to do with it.
I attended the spring program by
students of Woods-field Elementary School. I’m sorry I cannot tell you what
grades were a part of the program. I am certain there was well over 100
students standing on the risers when the curtain opened.
As sometimes happens something
happens to remind you this was not professional performing.
The program was held in the old
Woodsfield High School and there was a bit of trouble finding the correct
light switch but no one objected.
The program was “Mickey Mouse Club”.
I know most of you remember this program from years ago. They all sang
together. The girls sang by themselves; the boys sang by themselves and a
number of different characters from Disney on stage.
Perhaps the high point was a young
man. I’m not sure who, but could he ever dance. He danced like a pro and had
more moves than someone with a hot foot. Much better than dancing with the
stars, which I don’t watch.
Another high point was the boys. It’s
tough to believe boys this age group could rare back and sing the way they
did. Usually boys of this age kind of shy away from singing.
All in all, it was an excellent
program and I’m sure their teacher, Paula Frank, was proud of them. She does
such an excellent job.
This program is just an example of
the outstanding young people we have in our county. All the more reason to
provide better facilities.
As I drive around, I notice redbud
and dogwood are starting to bloom. I guess maybe good weather is on the way.
I always look forward to this time of year. Seems like everything is coming
to life. I guess about everything except making the grass needing to be cut
so often.
I almost forgot; we harvested our
first rhubarb a few days ago. Would you believe I ain’t had any rhubarb pie
yet? I hinted a time or two but still no pie. Maybe I should pull up a
stock, get some salt and eat it that way. Maybe she’d take the hint. On the
other hand, the Methodist church here in Lewisville is holding an election
day dinner. They normally have good rhubarb pie so maybe I can get one on
Tuesday. When I was a kid I ate a lot of raw rhubarb but I’m not sure I
could handle doing that now.
I was wrong; we seem to be in for a
rainy spell. We’ve had nearly three fourths of an inch this month and the
month is only about 10 hours old.
I don’t know why but we watch channel
9 to get our forecast. I don’t know why because they are not the most
accurate. They very seldom put out a five day forecast without including
rain or snow depending on the time of year. Sometimes they are correct,
sometimes they’re not. My new atomic clock is more accurate.
Speaking of clocks, I have a
question. How many clocks do you really need? As you grow older do you need
to know what time it is? I tend not to think about time as I take my time
easy most of the time and I start plenty early if we have an appointment
somewhere.
We have, I think, 10 clocks located
in our downstairs. This does not include the microwave, stove and VCR and
two wrist watches. I ask you; do we need this many clocks? One is still
running on slow time.
I keep hearing eat more vegetables.
Some even try to hide them in food and a cute ad has kids trying to get rid
of their vegetables, one by loading them in a toy.
I solved the problem. I drink
vegetable juice. Our Family has a reasonable one although it tastes a lot
like tomato juice. I got to wondering just how many vegetables I was
getting. Hold on to your hat. In addition to tomato juice I am getting juice
from carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress and spinach. Don’t
tell me I’m not getting my vegetables. Well, maybe not much. I still like
meat and potatoes.
A gossip is one who can turn an
earful into a mouthful.
Planning to attend church Sunday? Why
not?
Bible readings: (Mon.) Job 12:13-25;
(Tues.) Matthew 13:10-17; (Wed.) Daniel 2:25-30; (Thurs.) Amos 3:1-8; (Fri.)
Matthew 11:25-30; (Sat.) Corinthians 4:1-5; (Sun.) Ephesians 3:1-13.